News
Combat medic Olena Yeriomenko was killed in action while shielding a fellow soldier.
Olena Yeriomenko — call sign Leleka — a sister-in-arms from the VETERANKA Movement, was killed in action on June 29, 2025, while on a combat mission in the Sumy region. A service member of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a combat medic of the UAV platoon, 3rd mechanized battalion of the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade "Magura", Olena gave her life to save others. She absorbed the full impact of an enemy FPV drone strike, shielding her comrade.
She was posthumously awarded the Order “For Courage,”[...]
01.08.2025
This month marks seven years of the VETERANKA Movement — a powerful sisterhood born out of war, held together by solidarity, and driven by the fight for justice and equality.
VETERANKA has grown into a nationwide network of over 2,000 women veterans and servicewomen. Together, they advocate for rights, support military units, and help one another reintegrate into civilian life. The road ahead is still long — full of challenges and victories — but the Movement’s greatest strength already exists: a trusted community, ready to stand by each other even in the darkest moments.
To[...]
27.07.2025
The story of Oksana Ivanets — a woman who served for 26 years, went through war, discrimination, and ultimately found her place in civilian life.
She’s a retired lieutenant colonel, mother of many, veteran of both the State Border Guard Service and the Armed Forces of Ukraine, military journalist — and today, a communications specialist at the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP).
Her story is one of endurance, exhaustion, and the right to rest — and to honestly admit: “Right now, I’m just doing my job. Maybe later, I’ll be a leader again.”
For the[...]
24.07.2025
Kateryna Pryimak, head of the VETERANKA movement, has been included in NV’s Top 100 — an annual list recognizing Ukrainians who have made outstanding contributions to the country’s development and defense.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations and pride to Kateryna Pryimak, as well as to fellow VETERANKA members who were also honored in the “Military and Volunteers” category: Mariia Berlinska and Yuliia Mykytenko.
Our sincere thanks to the NV editorial team for their continued[...]
16.06.2025
Andriana Arekhta has been named the winner of the 2025 Woman of Ukraine National Independent Award in the “Defense of the State” category.
A senior sergeant in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, weapons operator in a special forces unit, and leader and co-founder of the VETERANKA movement, Andriana Arekhta continues to prove through her own story that a woman in the military is a symbol of strength, dignity, and an example for us all.
The entire VETERANKA team is immensely proud and grateful for her service and protection.
Due to her active duty, Andriana was unable to attend the[...]
11.06.2025
The VETERANKA movement and the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War joined forces to host an event dedicated to Ukrainian women defenders.
The program highlighted the continuity of women's military tradition — from the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (OUN) to modern-day service — through a lecture by Iryna Kotsabiuk, head of the museum's department for memorialization and the culture of remembrance.
A photo project by documentary photographer Marysia Myanovska offered a powerful glimpse into the lives of women currently serving on the front lines.
Attendees[...]
23.05.2025
Mariia Berlinska
1. Before 2014, I studied at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Faculty of Humanities. I planned to study historical science and cultural management.
2. I decided to join the army as a volunteer in the summer of 2014, when the war broke out. It was the most logical and obvious decision for me at the time. It did not come easy to me. Of course, I was very scared, but courage is not when you are not scared. It is when you are scared, but you still force yourself to go forward. In the beginning of September, I joined Dobrobat in Luhansk region. It was there that I started[...]
03.09.2024
Iryna joined the Army at the age of 45. In January of 2015 she joined the Azov volunteer battalion. She had moved out of Crimea 2 months prior to that and in 6 months she joined the 24th brigade as a sanitary instructor where she was on combat duty on the frontline, was saving servicemen and was responsible for the health of the brigade. Today she is defending Ukraine as an aerial reconnaissance soldier.
My husband stayed in Crimea and I left with the children. At the time I was working in the medical field and the company sent me to Uzhgorod. There I started going to recruitment[...]
14.03.2024
This Mother's Day, we want to express our respect and admiration for mothers in the army. You made a difficult choice when you went to defend the country, being aware of all the risks and complications that could happen in your family's life. The most difficult test is being away from your children. We embrace each of you, are proud of you, are inspired, and call on every Ukrainian man and woman to respect the conscious choice of mothers in the army. We have only one common enemy, let's remember the price of our freedom and thank everyone who fights for this freedom and us.
Why didn’t[...]
14.03.2024
From volunteering to aerial reconnaissance: about the path of a volunteer from the Euromaidan(the uprising against pro-russian government in Ukraine 2013-2014, - editors’ note), sexism, ageism and "soviet union thinking" in the army, about building relationships in a male team and mastering a drone with the help of YouTube, - read all about it in our interview.
How and when did you join the army for the first time?
I joined the army for the first time as a volunteer in January 2015. At the moment, the Vinnytsia battalion "Horyn" was stationed at the Kramatorsk airfield, and I went[...]
18.05.2023